Simple demonstration experiments for astronomical parallax

Markus Pössel

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arXiv · 1706.06555

Simple demonstration experiments for astronomical parallax

Markus Pössel

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Abstract

Parallax is the most important astronomical method for determining the distances from the Earth to nearby stars. We present two hands-on activities that explore the concepts and practice of parallax measurement. The first activity is a simple geometrical set-up using simple theodolites, and is accessible for students grade 7 and above. The second activity uses digital photography to recreate astronomical parallax measurements in a classroom setting, and is suitable for students grade 10 and above.

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Markus Pössel. 2017-06-20. Simple demonstration experiments for astronomical parallax. https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.06555

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